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; E. J; IIIENKLE.l

GATE POR RAILROAD GROSSINGS.

l No. 287,674. Patented oct. so, 188s.v

UNITED f STATESv PATENT QFFICE.

ELI J. vHENKIJE, lon BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

GATE FOR `RAILROAD-CROSSINGS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 287,674, dated October-30, 1883.

` I l Application -fled January 4, 1883. (No model.)`

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELI J. HENKLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented newand useful Improvements in f Gates for Bailroad-rossings, of which the following is a speciiication.

The object of this invention is to simplify the yconstruction of mechanism employed for operating that class of gates for railway-crossings in which a gate is located at each side of the track, and also to so construct and arrange the gates that on the approach of a train the gates can be raised, in orderv to close the crossroad and serve as asignalto persons approaching the track, and also so that after the train has passed `and it is desired to leave the crossv ing open the -gates can be let down in beds or I accomplish in the manner and by the means.

. and gate-operating mechanism with seats at the sides of the track, whereby said gates shall be out of the way of passing vehicles and practically concealed from persons passing along the cross-road. rlhese objects hereinafter described and claimed, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichv Figure l is a perspective view, representing a portion of a railway with the gates and gateoperating down.- Fig. 2 is aperspective vicwof the gates the gates raised or opened, and said gure also showing a lanternconnected with each gate, for apurpose hereinafter yset forth. Fig. 3 is a section taken longitudinally of the crossing road, showing the gate-pintle arranged in a box beneath the bed'.

A indicates the railway, and B the gates, one of which is located over the cross-road at each 'side of the track. It will be seen that at each side of the track-which in the present instanceis a double'one-isarranged an ordinary inclined carriage-way bed orplatform, C, having its highest point in juxtaposition to the outer rail. These inclined beds aresuch as are commonly used to form portions of the crossroad, whereby vehicles can readily cross the railway. Each one of these gates, which is substantially in the form of a yoke-that is, each consistsof two arms located, respectively, at opposite sides of the platformV C, the outer mechanism, the gates being shown ends being rigidlyconnected by a transverse bar', and the otherv ends of the side armsbeing mounted on a transverse journal bar or pintle, hereinafter referred to. These gates are made, preferably, for the sake of lightness and strength, of gas-pipe, and each is provided with a pintle or rock-shaft, b, which lies in a groove Vor box, c, formed transversely under the bed, whereby the said pintle is parallel with the track, as shown in Fig. 3. The ends of the pintle of the gate are received in staples D, or other suitable bearings, which, while admitting of the pintle turning about its axis, keep it down within the groove in the bed.

E denotes a sliding bar, which crosses thei say, one set of teeth is arranged upon its up per side and the remaining line of teeth upon its lower side. y r Y Eachgate-pintle is provided with a pinion, F, engaging the teeth at one end of the sliding rack-bar, and one of said pinions or pintles is provided with a lever-handle, G, forfturning the pinion, `so as to move the rack-bar. By this arrangement it will be seen that when the handle is operated so as to turn one of the pinions the rack-bar will be moved longitudinally and the opposite pinion turned in a direction reverse to that in which the rst pinion moves, such reverse movement being effected by forming the two sets of rack-teeth on oppo-v site sides of the bar 5 hence as the pinions are fixed on the gate pintles the gates can be either swung simultaneously up into a vertical position or both swung down at the same time. Each. bed is provided with a seat or groove, f, shaped to receive the gate when the same is swung down, whereby a vehicle can pass over the gate withoutinjury to it.

The gates will of themselves, during the day, `constitute, when raised, a sufficient signal to persons 'on-the cross-road; .but in order to provide a signal which shall be visible at night, a lantern, H, as shown in Fig. 2, canbe hung on each gate. These lanterns, when employed,

`will be seen whenthe gates are up, and-when the gates are down can be received in suitable IOO boxes or chambers, I, located in the bed. In such case the lanternhung on the gate will at all times swing into a vertical position, and hence enter its scat vertically. The gate could have a shield fixed above the lantern, so that when the lantern is in its seat ysuch shield would form a cover for the seat or opening.

The rack-bar can slide in any suitable casing, and also a casing can be used to protect the pinions, the lever-handles iny such case working through a slot in the casing. Alever could be employed for each pinion, if preferred, although one lever will be found suiiicient. l

It will be observed that this mechanism is exceedingly simple, and that by weighting the lever or pintles both gates can be readily actuated, and that when desired the gate can be closed or lowered with great ease.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination, 'with a pair of gates hinged, respectively7 at opposite sides of a railway-track, and cach provided at its hinged connection with a pinion, of a rack-bar extending transversely under the track and engaging the pinions of the gates, and means for sliding the rack-bar to simultaneously swing the gates to an upright position, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a pair of gates hinged over the cross-road at opposite sides of the track, of a slidable rack-bar extending across the railway below the rails and engaging a pinion upon the pintle of cach gate, the teeth upon said rack-bar being respectively on opposite sides of the bar, whereby by op erating the bar the gates canbe simultaneously raised or lowered, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Ihavehereunto set my 4o hand in the presence of two subscribing witncsses.

E. J. HENKLE. Vitnesscs:

JAMES A. RUTHERFORD, CHAs. B. TILDEN. 

